The Angry One
by brown phantom
Summary: Akane has always talked and acted like she doesn't like Ranma. But maybe she doesn't think like that anymore. Part Six in a Ranma monologue series.


I should probably take a break from what I'm doing. Not that it's hard or taxing, but I'm having a hard time focusing on it now. I'm trying to do my homework and helping someone else do their's to. But they're most likely having a harder time with focusing on this then I am. Schoolwork was never Ranma Saotome's strong point or even an area of interest.

My name is Akane Tendo, youngest of the Tendo family and possibly the best known in this district. Not something to be proud of, I assure you. I'm the one the infamous hentai horde of Furinkan High used to ambush every morning. I'm also the one Ranma is always supposed to rescue from some kind of trouble. For some reason I have a weird habit of being targeted by someone that Ranma needs to defeat. The Joketsuzoku, the Phoenix, and the poorly named Pantyhose Taro, to name a few. Ranma always gets me out of trouble in a rather heroic way and I am grateful for that, but I wish I could get myself out a bit more.

Ranma has done a lot for me in the time I've known him. He's also done a lot _to_ me in that time, mostly make me angry. It's probably the only thing he's better at than martial arts. Then again, I suppose that in his defense getting me angry isn't exactly the hardest thing in the world to do. I admit I have a bit of a temper, some would call a hair trigger type, but that's just who I am. I guess I just let things get to me and can't take criticism as well as I probably should. But with things the way they are in life, don't I have the right to be more than a little irritated?

To start things off, one day my father from out of the blue tells me and my sisters that he arranged a fiancee for one of us. What does he think this is, the Tokugawa era? Then when Ranma, the aforementioned fiancee shows up, my sisters decide I was the best choice because "he's half-girl" due to his curse and the fact I had a very low opinion of males at the time. Sure, I don't hate Ranma anymore and I'm quite used to his curse by now, but we have gone thru a rough patch during the past year. Now, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about him.

No, that's not entirely true. Do I love him? That's really a tough question for me to answer, at least out loud. At the failed wedding, when he was asking all those questions, I asked him if he really loved me. I know he does, because I heard him say it back at Jusendo. I was unconscious at the time, or maybe even dead, but I _know_ I heard him say that as he held me in his arms. When I asked him that at the wedding, I wanted desperately to hear him say it again. And if he had, this is what I would have said to him: "That's why I'm agreeing to this wedding."

I guess to be honest, I do love Ranma Saotome. Sure, he can make me angry like no one else, but he has made a deep impression on my heart. He's saved my life several times and he's put my well being even above his chances for a cure for his curse. He learned martial arts cheerleading to avenge a humiliation of mine and took my place when that french guy with the monstrous mouth showed up wanting a fiancee. He's also kept me safe from Happosai and a few amazon tricks. Trust me, I can see why so many girls tend to fall for him despite his flaws, and I guess I'm one of them.

I'm also positive that Ranma cares for me too. He tends to get jealous when other boys, even P-chan, get too close to me. Just like how I get jealous when girls are too friendly with him. I know at those times I shouldn't get angry at him for their actions, but he could at least be more assertive at getting rid of them. Plus, when I'm upset, I don't think straight like most people. He also came to Ryugenzawa to apologize to me and stayed to save me from being eaten, even after I slapped him. Basically, I don't think Ranma would deal with me after all the crap I give him if he didn't care for me or love me.

Ah yes, all the crap I give him. After the wedding, I kind of had to look at myself. I can see why I like him, but before we get married, I think I should see why he would like me. To be honest, after I looked, I didn't like what I saw. I get angry too easily and react too violently, I try to force him to eat my cooking and say it's good, and I hate being insulted in any way. I hate to say it, but the truth sadly is that sometimes I can be a real bitch. But I want Ranma to love me and maybe even marry me, so I have to be nicer to him.

That's part of why he's here in my room doing homework with me. I'm trying to become a nicer girl so he can feel comfortable admitting he loves me, for whatever reason he has. Another reason is that I think he's trying to do the same thing. Ever since the failed wedding, Ranma has been at everyone's throats. They all really made him angry too, but he's never even looked at me like he was upset with me. And he's been acting less hostile and abrasive to me. I think he might have realized how he appears to people and, like me, didn't like what he found and wants to better himself. I sure hope so, because then we might soon have a chance for a real relationship. Wouldn't that be nice for a change?

I think it might actually work out, as long as Ranma doesn't screw up and make me angry again. Here's hoping.

The End

AN: This was so far the toughest one to write out of the Ranma monologues. Akane's one of the few characters that has some real character development in the series so I really needed to take a deep look into her mind and perspective. I may have portrayed her a little less hostile than she usually appears in the series, but I feel that by the end Akane had to learn a few things, like not everybody is going to say what you want to hear. I've also always wanted her to see herself as others might see her, which is something I think everyone should experience. Just so you know, I like Akane and believe she's the only girl meant for Ranma. However, I certainly wouldn't want to be her fiancee.


End file.
